Pump



Nov. 18,1930. 1,782,144

' PUMP Filed Nov. 7 192 1 l I l l x 1 I I l l l l INVENTOR FREDERICK H. SEN BY ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 1 8, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT? OFFICE FREDERICK H1. JENSEN, OF SEATTLE, WASHING'JZON" PUMP Application filed. November 7,1928. Serial No. 317,728.

stated that in most types of reciprocating pumps in which pistons operate to effect the pumping action, the liquid being pumped comes directly into contact with the piston and surfaces along or Within which the piston operates, and in the event that the pumped liquid contains gritty or dirty substances, these operate to wear or cut the piston and cylinder surfaces so that leakage or other damage results. Also,.should the liquid being pumped contain chemicals, these are apt to damage the packing or walls of the pumping elements so that repair would be required; It is practically impossible to provide a long wearing pump for liquids of a sandy or gritty character when the pumped liquid is permitted to come in contact with the pumping pistons.

*In view of the above, it has been the ob ject of this invention to provide a pump in which the principal pumping elements themselves do not at any time come into contact with the liquid being pumped but operate on a suitable, permanently retained liquid, which, in turn, operates through the medium of impermeable, flexible diaphragms to bring about a pumping action by displacement through the fiexure of the diaphragms.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compound pump of the above character and to provide means which operates automatically to maintain a certain desired quantity of the liquid in the pump cylinder and crates automatically to balance the amounts at opposite sides of the pump piston so as to avoid distortion of the diaphragms, that might result from too much or not enough,

of the cylinder,

heads, and to provide other means which opor what may be termed unbalanced amounts,

to: liquid at opposite sides of the pump pis- Other objects of the invention reside in the various details of construction and in the combination of described.

In accomplishing these and other-objects, I have provided the improved details of construction, the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, c0

which shows a longitudinal, sectional view 8f a pump embodied by the present invenion.

Referring more in detail to the drawings- 1 designates a pump cylinder that is closed 05 I at its opposite ends by the cylinder heads 2 and 3 and within which a pump piston 4 r is adapted to be reciprocally actuated b means of a piston rod 5 that operatesthroug a suitably packed opening 6 in the cylinder head plate 3. Connected with opposite ends through the heads 2 and 3 respectively, are spherically formed chambers 8 and 9, each of which is centrally divided by an impermeable, flexible diaphragm 10 providing in each chamber an upper compartment A and a lower compartment B; the upper compartments communicatin with the cylinder at opposite sides of the piston and the lower compartments being completely so separated therefrom by the flexible diaphragins.

The lower compartments B of the chambers 8 and 9 are each provided with a valved inlet 12 which, during a pumping operation, would be connected through suitable pipes or tubes, with the liquid to be pumped. They are also provided with valved outlets 13 for connection with a delivery pipe through which the pumped liquid is exhausted. The

valves 12 may be of any suitable type and are arranged to open under suction within I the chamber B and to close under compression, while the valves 13 are arranged to operate in an opposite direction thereto; that is, they are to close under suction within the chamber B and to open under compression. In assembling the pump, it is arranged with the piston 4 cent-rall between the limits of tra el and with the i p gms 1Q cen 109 parts, as will hereinafter be 55 I bl'y contained.

trallydividing their chambers. Then, the

forceof the liquid from the cvlinder end into one ot'v the chambers Annd the withdrawal of liquid from the other chamber connected with the opposite end of the. cylinder. etl'ect flcxure of the two diaphragmsin opposite directions,

and that reverse movement of the piston accordingly tlexesthc diaphragms in the opposite direction and this back and fourth movement of the diaphragms will continue in 'accordanecwith thefback and forth movement of the- )iston to'thereby etleet a pumping action or the intaltinp and exhaustingot the liquid being pumped through the lower compartments B of the chambers 8 and 9. The pumped liquid at no time comes in contact with the piston or cylinder walls, but is retained below-the'tiexible diaphragms 10, which may be of rubber, leather, or any other suitable material which may be treated or prepared in amanner to make it suitable for this purpose. It is apparent, also, that during the pum ing operation, no strain is placed on the iaphragms themselves regard less'of'thepressures produced in the pump, since' the pressures at opposite sides of the diaphragms are at all times equalized. It is also apparentfthat the volume of liquid pumped by-each reciprocal movement of the 'iiston will be in accordance with the length of travel of the piston and the volume displaced thereby and this may be varied as desired up to'a certain length of travel.

For the purpose of maintaining balanced amounts of'liquid at opposite sides of the piston. regardless of any leakagethat may the piston during the pumping action, I have provided an automatic, equalizing valve mechanism comprising the valve housing forined with ac'ylindrical guide cylind'cr ltlwithin which a valve sleeve 17 is slida The lower end, of the valve sleeve is open and communicates with that end of the cylinder, and it is provided centrally-between its ends in its side wall with a'latera'lly'openin gport 18. The valve housing 15 is provided in its side wall with vertically spaced ports 19 and 20, which communiate, through a pipe 21, with the opposite end of the cylinder 1. The valve sleeve 17 normally held atits medial position of travel by a springQQ that is connected therewith and with a cap 15 that closes the top of the valve housing, and when this valve sleeve is at its medial position, the port 18 therein is disposed midway of the ports 19 and 20. A valve rod 23 is connected with the sleeve and depends into the cylinder head where it is provided with two spaced apart stops 2st and 25. A rod 26 is fixed to the diaphragm 10 within the chamber 3 and this extends upwardly and. at its upper end. has a loop 27 that is slidable on the rod 23 between the stops 2 1 and The stofps1are so arranged on the rod 23 that they will not be engaged by the looped end of the rod 26 so long as the proper amount of liquidis contained in that end of thcpuinp cylinder. but should there be too much liquid in this end, which will cause the diaphragm to he flexed downwardly. or dmtortedbeyond: adesircd degree. the looped end, 27 ot the rod 26 will engage with the stop 2'?) to pull the rod 23 and valve sleeve 17 downwardly to thereby bring the port 18 of the sleeve into registration with the port to permitliquid'to flow back from that end of the cylinder through the pipe' 21 and ;to'the opposite end ofthe cylinder." Likewise. it the diaphragm}movesupwardly too far because ot=there not bemgenough liquid in that end of the cylinder, the sleeve 17 will be actuated upwardly to admit liquid from the-opposite end of the cylinder through the pipe 21 into the valve housing 15 and that end of the cylinder. \Vith this mechanism, the desired amounts of liquid in opposite ends of the cylinder is automatically maintained.

I have also provided means for automatically replenishing the supply of liquid within the pump cylinder, and for this purpose, I

have providedthe cylinder head 3 with an upward-extension 30 forming a cylinder 31 within which a valve sleeve 32 is slidably contained. The sleeve is open at its lower end to the cylinder and is provided in its side wall with a port 33 normally registering between a supply inlet 34 and an exhaust port 35. The supply port connects with a pipe 35* leading from a supply of liquid. A rod 36 connects with the lower end of the valve sleeve and this dependsdownwardly within the cylinder and is provided at vertically spaced intervals with stops 37 and 38. A rod 39is fixed to the diaphragm 10 in the chamber 9 and this extends upwardly therefrom and, at, its upper end, is provided with a horizontal loop d0 that is slidably contained on the rod 36 between the stops 37 and 38, \Vith this arrangement, should, the diaphragm 10 of the chamber 9 move upwardly beyond a certain limit because of there not being enough liquid within that end of the cylinder, the loop {t0 at the upper end of the rod 38 will engage with the stop. 37 to shift the valve sleeve 32 upwardly to bring the port 33 in registration with the supply port 34.- to thereby admit an additional amount of liquid to'the cylinder. Likewise, should the diaphragm 10 be fiexeddoivnwardly too far ing pump, are handled without difiiculty and without damage to the pum Pumps of this type may he made single or double acting and need not necessarily be provided with the automatic controlling features shown.

It is apparent also that various details of construction other than those herein illustrated may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention and, for this reason, it is not desired that the claims be limited only to the details shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters-Patent, is:

1. In a pump comprising a cylinder, a piston reciprocally operable in the cylinder, pumping chambers connected with opposite ends of the cylinder, flexible diaphragms dividing the pumping chambers, said chambers having valved inlets and valved outlets at one side of the diaphragm and a liquid pumping medium filling the cylinder and chambers between the piston and the other sides of the diaphragms, and means associated with the cylinder for automatically maintaining a predetermined amount of pumping medium in the cylinder, and means for automatically maintaining a predetermined amount of the medium at the opposite sides of the piston.

2. In a pump comprising a cylinder, a piston reciprocally operable in the cylinder, pumping chambers connected with opposite ends of the cylinder, flexible diaphragms dividing the pumping chambers, said chambers having valved inlets and valved outlets at one side of the diaphragm and a liquid pumping medium filling the cylinder and chambers between the piston and the other sides of the diaphragms, and means provided for automatically maintaining predetermined amounts of liquid in the cylinder at opposite sides of the piston and which is operated by abnormal flexure of the diaphragm of one of said chambers.

3. A pump as in claim 2. wherein means is provided for automatically maintaining a predetermined the cylinder and which is operated by the abnormal flexure in either direction oi the diaphragm of one of said pump chambers.

st. A pump of the character described, comamount of pumping liquid in v prising a cylinder, a piston reciprocally operable therein, pump chambers connected with opposite ends of the cylinder, flexible diaphragms dividing the pump chambers; said chambers having valved inlets and valved outlets at one side of the diaphragm, a

liquid pumping medium filling the cylinder and chambers at the other side of the dia phragms through which reciprocal action of the piston in opposite directions efiectsflexurc of the diaphragms in opposite directions for producing pumping action in the chambers for the intaking and discharge of liquid through said valved inlets and outlets, a valve housing connected with opposite ends: of the cylinder and through which liquid may be transferred from one side of the piston to the other, a valve in said housing for controlling the flow of liquid and means operable by abnormal flexure of one of the diaphragms in either direction for moving the valve to open position.

5. A pump of the character described, comprising a cylinder, a piston reciprocally operable therein, pump cliambersconnected with opposite ends of the cylinder,

flexible diaphragms dividing the pump chambers; said chambers having valved inlets and valved outlets at one side of the diaphragms, a liquid pumping medium filling the cylinder and chambers at the other side of the dia phragms through which reciprocal action of the piston in opposite directions effects flexure of the diaphragms in opposite directions for producing pumping action in the chambers for the intaking and discharge of liquid through said valved inlets and outlets, a valve housing connected with opposite ends of the cylinder and through which liquid may be transferred from one side of the piston to the other, a valve in the said housing for controlling the flow of liquid, a valve actuating rod, stops fixed in spaced relation on the rod, :1 rod fixed to one of said diaphragms and slidable on the valve rod between the stops and adapted to engage with said stops incident to abnormal flexure of the diaphragm for opening the valve.

6. A pump of the character described comprising a cylinder, a piston reciprocally operable therein, pump chambers connected with opposite ends of the cylinder, flexible diaphragms dividing the pump chambers; said chambers having valved inlets and valved outlets at opposite sides of the dim phragms, a liquid pumping medium fill ng the cylinder and chambers at the other side of the diaphragms through which reciprocal action of the piston in opposite directions ef fects flexure of the diaphragms in opposite directions to produce pumping action in the said chambers for the intaking and discharge of liquid through said valved inlets and outlets, a valve housing connected with the cylinder and having a port for connection with 

